Min | Day Architects: Rethinking the Retreat House

Store History

Founded by:
E.B. Min and Jeffrey Day

Headquarters:
San Francisco and Omaha

We first discovered Min | Day Architects in 2009, when their Iowa Lake House won two AIA Awards: one for its overall design, and one for the amazing cabinet/headboard shown above. Since then, they've continued to impress us by designing casual, laid-back getaways that seem simple on the surface, but on closer inspection reveal smart ideas that apply beyond the vacation home vernacular.

In an unusual arrangement, Min | Day maintains offices in San Francisco and Omaha. While not exactly the architectural capital of the US, we're guessing that Omaha's distinct landscape provides a point of view that most firms in New York, Chicago, or LA don't have access to, and it seems to have led to a body of work that draws on unpretentious American forms — like farmhouses, tool sheds, and flood walls.

All their projects — including apartments and homes in dense urban areas — have a feeling of expansiveness. If you follow the thread through their work, this open, airy quality is usually achieved with smart built-in storage walls and flexible cabinetry that serves multiple purposes. For example, the mud room in their Sonoma County farm house includes a spacious central bench that anchors the room, contains shoe storage, and serves as seating. For more information and portfolio photos, check out MinDay.com.